Another Cinderella Story
by ebbtide
Summary: Sam doesn't know what she is getting herself into when she agrees to attend an offworld ball. Prince Charming is present. A.U. Fluff. Enjoy! Let me know what you think


A Stargate Cinderella Story

By Ebbtide Cheque

---

It's midnight, Cinderella, but don't you worry none.

I guess that your Prince Charming wasn't after all.

It's midnight, Cinderella, time that you should know

There's going to be some changes in the way this stories told.

--(Garth Brooks-It's Midnight Cinderella)

---

Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter burst out of the party, her shimmering, and body tight white dress flying out to the slitted sides. Just visible a Zat' was strapped to her leg above the knee. The air force woman hastily readjusted her dress so that it covered the weapon. She carefully closed the ornately carved double doors behind herself and looked all around. No one seemed to be anywhere near her, they were all inside at the party.

She reached down into her low cut dress top and pulled a small hand radio from a hidden pocket.

"Teal'c, come in."

"Colonel Carter, is all going to plan?"

Raised voices suddenly sounded through the door and all party music stopped abruptly. Sam winced; she knew this was her fault. She had to get out of there.

"N., I'm aborting the plan. You need to come and get me right away, I think we could have a possible..." She really hated to say this. "Situation, on our hands."

There was a significant pause. "Colonel Carter, I will be at your position momentarily. Teal'c out."

The woman replaced the radio and then started down the long and wide flight of stairs that led away from the palace. A dull roar of voices could be heard behind her inside the ballroom, she hurried a little bit faster. Off to her left she could see a little gray blip on the horizon grow closer very quickly as Teal'c came to her rescue. She ran faster down the stairs, which proved to be a disastrous mistake when she tripped in the too-tall glass high heels that she had been forced to wear.

The goa'uld cargo ship hovered over her before she could stand back up.

"Colonel Carter, be prepared to ring aboard." Teal'c's deep voice announced through the radio.

Carter pushed herself up off the stair and stumbled into a stand. The noise beyond the doors was so close now that she knew it was only a matter of seconds before they came out and found her trying to escape. She did not even notice that one of her shoes had slipped off during the fall.

A blue glow covered her and then the familiar sound of the rings being engaged overpowered the noise from inside the building. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, she was standing in the ring room of the cargo ship. She could see Teal'c through the open door.

"Go, Teal'c, before they see us." She said urgently.

He nodded and engaged the ships engines. They were gone before the Prince and his attendants could make it through the front door of his fairy tale palace.

----

Prince Charming knelt down, his heart breaking at the sight of a single glass slipper there on the step in front of him.

"She is gone." He said. "I must find her."

A light of determination shone in his chestnut brown eyes, those around him knew it well. No matter how far he had to travel, Prince Charming was not going to give up the search for one Samantha Carter of the Tauri. His gaze fixed on a metallic alien ring set up in the courtyard below. He would find his love no matter what.

---

"How'd the mission go, Carter?" General O'Neill asked.

Sam blushed and rubbed her arm uncomfortably. "Not well, sir." She responded.

He cocked his head to one side and raised his eyebrows. "How so?"

"Well, I had a sort of...miscommunication with the local-." She grimaced. "Prince."

O'Neill tried to keep a straight face, but a in the end a smile won out. "Really?" He asked with a short chuckle.

"I think he might've liked me. Really liked me." She admitted. "I tried to explain to him that I was there to open up trade negotiations between our two planets, but I think he misunderstood my intentions." She frowned. "I really did try to explain, sir."

Jack waved her worry away. "Don't worry about it, Carter. In that dress it's amazing you got off the planet." He smiled, his expression softening. "You look good, by the way."

Sam looked down at her dress and single high heel with disgust. "I wanted to report the missions failure before I went to the locker room, sir." She explained.

He leaned back in his leather chair and turned serious. "We will need to talk to contact the planet. The pentagon really wanted this one."

Sam nodded in understanding. "Yes, sir."

---

Prince Charming stepped through the Gate into the embarkation room under Cheyenne Mountain. Here he knew that he would find his Princess, Samantha Carter. His eyes studied the faces of those around him and a royal frown marred his expression when he realized that the armed men in green fatigues were not part of the greeting party he had met during the first contact with the Tauri. His frown deepened.

"Where is SG-1 and Colonel Samantha Carter?" He asked one of the guards closest to him.

The man did not respond. He simply stood there, weapon aimed, waiting for further instructions from General O'Neill. The man in question stood in the control room watching the proceedings with barely contained laughter.

Jack walked over to the wall phone and quickly dialed the number for Sam's lab a few levels up.

"Carter." She answered

"Carter, I need you in the Gate room." Jack said and then hung up before she could ask any questions.

---

Samantha Carter walked into the embarkation room and froze at the sight of Prince Charming standing a few feet in front of her. He smiled widely, showing a row of perfectly white teeth to the world. He flung his arms out and walked towards her with a silly grin plastered on the young man's face.

"Samantha!"

She closed her eyes, hoping this was just a hallucination brought on by too many off-world missions and chocolate withdrawal. She opened them again and deflated slightly when he was still there, standing in front of her smiling with his arms still held out. She tried to smile back.

"Prince Charming, I am sorry that I left your coronation ball so quickly. I had to leave because I think that you are a little confused about my purpose for being on your planet." Sam tried to explain.

His smiled faded and his arms fell to his side. "Then you did not know?" He asked, a sad light coloring his eyes. At her blank look, he explained. "That was not a coronation ball. I invited every single woman in my kingdom...I was to choose a wife."

---

Up in the control room Jack bit back a snort of laughter and watched Sam squirm at this new Intel. Her cheeks were aflame with embarrassment and her mouth opened and closed as she tried to find a response for this new information. Jack rolled back on his heels and enjoyed the show.

---

"You - What?" Sam asked finally, flabbergasted and more than a little horrified.

Prince Charming's face fell. "I understand now. You were not interested in royal marriage. I thought - hoped - that when you talked of uniting our two planets you meant..." His voice broke and trailed off. "I had hoped."

Sam felt her heart going out for the man. He was as much a victim of miscommunication as she had been.

"I am sorry, Prince Charming. This incident hasn't affected our planet's future negotiation?" She asked quietly.

The Prince shook his head. "No, we are still interested in opening exchange with your world." He straightened a ruffle in his fancy clothing and readjusted his velvet cape. "Now that I have thoroughly embarrassed myself, I wish to return to my world before further misunderstanding can take place."

Sam nodded and looked up to the control room, it was empty save for Walter and several other Gate technicians.

"Dial up the Prince's home world, Sergeant." She ordered.

---

Jack sat at his desk in the dark, both doors closed and locked. He had heard the Gate activate several minutes ago and he waited for the sound of its deactivation before bursting into giggles.

---

THE END

(Sequel??)


End file.
